30-Second Synopsis: Jovanka Vuckovic, Roxanne Benjamin, Karyn Kusama, and Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) each tell a different spooky story, starting off with Vuckovic's dark mystery The Box, followed by Clark's Stepford Wives-esque The Birthday Party, then Benjamin's Don't Fall (a true Joshua Hill venture to hell), finishing with a Rosemary's Baby-inspired Her Only Living Son by Kusama.

Don't Fall. Image courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

No. 1 Reason Not to Talk to Strangers... In The Box, a little boy's nosy nature lands him with an unappetizing curse—and it's contagious.

Number of Rock Star Directors: 1. Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, co-wrote and directed The Birthday Party into the perfect and aesthetically beautiful amuse-bouche of dark humor.

Watch XX this weekend in theaters and on demand.

Hey, Isn't That Girl… Carla in The Birthday Party is played by Sheila Vand, who you may recognize as the lead from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (another Sweet-approved female-directed horror film which, if you haven't seen already, you must add to your list).

Cave Paintings Are Cool, But… As Don't Fall teaches you, if you see an ancient one on a deserted campsite, maybe park your RV somewhere else.

'The Box'. Image courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

Déjà Vu Moment: OK, so the last Rosemary's Baby remake didn't go so well, but Kusama's Her Only Living Son may just make up for it. On her son's 18th birthday, Cora learns that her ex offered her—and—their child up to the devil to become a Hollywood star. It all culminates in a scene that's equal parts emotionally moving and physically grotesque.

Number of Hairstyles You'll Want to Copy: Six in The Birthday Party alone. Count them all as the partygoers rush in with perfectly coiffed updos and exaggerated set curls. It's about time we all go back to '60s set and pins, amiright?

The films are all connected by some spine-tingling stop motion. Image courtesy of Sundance Film Festival

Number of Emotionally-Scarring Birthdays: Two. It's not easy turning seven or 18, especially if your dad died at your birthday party (The Birthday Party) or sold you out to the Devil (Her Only Living Son).